SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Art Wing still fondly remembers the words of his late father, Hal Wing, founder of Little Giant Ladders: “If you focus on building the company and not on the people, you will fail. If you focus on developing the people, the company will develop itself.”

This motto is still the central idea of ​​Little Giant today.

In the early 1970s, Hal was living in Germany as a salesman and befriended an inventor who constructed a ladder that Hal considered an engineering marvel. He took the idea back to the United States, perfected it, and patented it before setting off on his journey.

“He bought a Pinto station wagon, loaded it up with ladders, and was on the road more than 250 days a year just selling stuff out of that thing,” Art recalled.

Art says the roadshow worked and people quickly became aware of the sturdy ladders and their performance.

In 2002, Little Giant Ladders reached new heights when it hit television screens across the country with an infomercial that often ran late at night and on weekend afternoons. It was a catchy commercial that ran for 16 years and generated over a billion dollars in sales of ladders.

Today, the Little Giant brand operates where it began: in Utah.

Company President and CEO Ryan Moss says the Beehive State is its headquarters for a reason.

“We have great people here in the state of Utah. Honestly, that's one of the greatest blessings of Little Giant, the wonderful people we get to work with every day,” Moss said. “They're hardworking, they're smart, they're creative.”

Utah is Little Giant's main factory, but the company has offices and warehouses all over the world and works to keep its standards and safety high. Worldwide, Little Giant employs several thousand people who, together, turn a small idea into a huge company and climb the ladder of success with no end in sight.